This invention relates in general to an attachment for an appliance that is connected to a fluid source and more particularly to such a device that surrounds the hoses that carry the fluid into the appliance in a manner such that it is capable of directing any fluid escaping from the hoses to an appropriate drainage site.
A number of appliances that are used routinely in homes and businesses are necessarily connected to a fluid source, typically a water source. Among these appliances are washing machines, dishwashers and water heaters. The appliance is generally attached to the water source by a rubber or plastic hose that transports the water or other fluid into the appliance. A separate fluid outlet hose is normally connected to the appliance for directing the used water to an appropriate drainage site such as a floor drain or a standpipe.
These appliances are often subject to repeated use by the user. The repeated influx of water into the hose at high pressure tends to break down the strength of the hose over time. As a result of such constant use, the hoses may begin to leak and may eventually rupture causing substantial flooding to the area surrounding the appliance. Additionally, the hoses are usually connected to both the water source and the appliance by metal or plastic threaded nozzle fittings. These fittings can also become worn or rusted over time and likewise become susceptible to leakage or complete failure.
When one of the hoses or fittings on such appliance ruptures or begins to leak there is rarely any advance notice to the owner. These hoses and connections are usually positioned behind the appliance and are thereby obstructed from normal view during use. Thus, any wear on the hoses or fittings often goes unnoticed until it is too late.
When a hose or nozzle fitting breaks, the damage is considerable. The water escaping from a ruptured line or fitting will flood the area surrounding the appliance with water. This problem is most often accompanied with washing machines. As most homeowners are aware, water damage is very serious and costly to repair. The accumulation of water following a hose or fitting rupture will destroy or seriously damage the floor and any floor covering in the vicinity of the appliance. Additional damage can be done to other items that are on the floor or in the path of the flooding waters. The damage is especially significant when the floor covering is carpet or wood, but concrete floors or linoleum floor coverings are not spared. The water may seep into small cracks in the concrete and lead to considerable structural damage over time. For linoleum or tiled floors, the flooding waters may seep under tiles and cause them to become dislodged by eroding the underlying glue.
While serious damage can occur very rapidly when a hose line ruptures, extensive damage is also occasioned by a continuous leak from one of the hoses or fittings. A small or moderate leak may go unnoticed by the user for long periods of time and may cause serious water damage to the surrounding areas.
Even though this is such a common and damaging occurrence, there is no known product that adequately solves the problem. It is thus evident that a need exists for a device that protects the user of appliances that are connected to water or fluid sources from sudden and unexpected flooding of the area surrounding the appliance due to the rupture or leakage of a hose carrying a fluid into the appliance.
It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a device that protects appliance fluid inlet hoses and attached nozzle fittings in the event of a leak or rupture of the hose or nozzle fitting and that prevents flooding and damage to the surrounding area.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a device that surrounds the fluid inlet hoses of an appliance in a manner to capture fluid escaping from a faulty hose or nozzle fitting and directs the escaping fluid to an appropriate drainage site.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device that prevents ruptured or leaking washing machine water inlet hoses from causing any serious water damage to the area around the washing machine by providing two flexible, interconnected sleeves that cover the hot and cold water inlet hoses connected to the washing machine and that can direct escaping water to a floor drain or standpipe.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an inexpensive and effective means for protecting appliance water inlet hoses from creating water damage to the area surrounding the appliance in the event of a rupture or leak in the inlet hoses.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide such a device that can be adapted to various sizes of water inlet hoses and lengths of inlet hoses that may be presented by washing machines or other appliances having water inlet hoses.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a device that can easily be installed by the owner of the appliance.